Trunk



(No Model.)

l TRUNK. y No. 433,389 Patented July 29, 1890.

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EMERY ANDREWS, OF KENNEBUNK, MAINE, ASSIGNOR TO THE LEATHEROID MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF MAINE.

TRUNK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 433,389, dated July 29, 1890.

Application filed May 2, 1890.

ing, 'taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in trunks and similar receptacles, and has for its 1o object to make such receptacles both light in weight and strong to resist the rough usage to which they are liable to be subjected.

My invention consists in an improved joint for the edges ot' the wood boards of which the i 5 body of the trunk is Iliade; also, of an improved cornerand protecting-band, and, further, of protecting-bosses attached to the surface of the trunk, all as set forth hereinafter, and shown in the drawings, of which- Figure l represents a trunk embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a partial section showing the corner and protecting-band; Fi 3, a modi! iication of said corner; Fig. 4, a portion of the wood body, partly cut away to show the spline; and Figs. 5 and 6, a boss in plan and section, respectively.

Similar letters indicate similar parts in all the figures.

Trunks have been made of various matcrials, but most frequently of wood covered by some protecting material, as leather, metal, parchmentized paper-board, known as leatheroid. The edges of the wood boards used for this purpose are usually joined by the 3 5 well-known tongue-and-groove joint, and are in the better class of trunks also glued; but exposure to moisture or shrinkage of the wood often loosens such joints, and the groove being about one-third the thickness of the 4o boards the materialon either side of the groove is easily split away, and the adjacent edges of the boards not supporting each other the strength of the trunk is reduced materially.

One feature of myinvention consists in substituting for the usual tongue and groove a very narrow groove, (not over about one-sixteenth ot' an inch in Width,) into which is placed a thin strip or spline of parchmentized paper-board known as leatheroid, or simi- 5o lar fibrous material. This material is pecu- Serial No. 350,25 9. (No model.)

liarly adapted for this use, being elastic, and hence not so liable to break away the wood as metal (sometimes used for this purpose) would be, and having strength enough to allow the use of a very thin strip for this purpose. Fig. 4 shows the material for the side of a trunk made up of strips joined in this way, d d abeing the strips of wood and b b b strips of leatheroid inserted in grooves therein.

In constructing a trunk according to my 6o invention I first make a wooden box, joining the edges of the boards wherever joints are necessary, as above set. forth. I prefer to cover the surface of this box with leatheroid; but however covered does not concern my present invention. It is well known that the corners of all trunks need special protection and re-enforcement. To provide this, I take a strip of leatheroid of about one-sixteenth to one-eighth of an inch in thickness and three 7o to four inches in width and of suitable length to cover the desired portion of the trunk, bend it along a central longitudinal line to a right angle, then cover its outer surface with a thin plate of metal, preferably steel, which has been cut wide enough to cover the edges of the leatheroid strip and be bent over so as to inclose the same and cover some portion of the inside of the leatheroid strip, as is plainly shown in Fig. 2, a a indicating the 8o wood body of atrunk, c c the leatheroid strip, and e c the enveloping sheet metal. Iprefer to cement or glue the metal to the leatheroid wherever the t-wo are used in contact. The cornerpieces thus made are nailed or riveted 8 5 to the trunk, preferably on both the horizontal and vertical angles, as shown at c c c, Fig.

l. Where these corner-pieces meet at the junction of the angles of a trunk amalleableiron cap m may cover the ends of all. As a 9o further means of strengthening the trunk, I use liat strips of leatheroid covered with metal in the same way, as shown in Fig. 2, in which d represents the leatheroid, and f the metal covering, which I nail or rivet to the trunk, as shown at f in Fig. l. As a still further means of protecting the trunk from blows which might puncture it, I provide bosses, of sheet metal or leatheroid, (see Figs. 5 and 6,) which are so struck up as to present aconvex roo face t' and a flat rim, which latter may be cut away at intervals, so as to leave the several projections k 7c 7c 7c, through which nails or rivets serve to fasten them to the trunk at any desired intervals between the corners c I and stripsf. (See t' vl, &c., Fig. 1.) Trunks thus made are light, strong, and durable, the light covering of metal on the corners and strips protecting the leatheroid, which gives stiffness and strength. The leatheroid alone might wear away, and the metal alone would lack the necessary stiffness; but the combination herein shown is light, sti, and strong.

In Fig. 3 is shown a modied form of corner. (The same construction may also be applied to the strip d, Fig. 2. The sheet metal g is not carried around the edge of the leatheroid c to the inner side, but is carried straight out (see h) after covering its edge, and the nails or rivets are put through this proj ecting edge to hold the same to the trunk.. This method has the advantage that the heads of the nails or rivets do not project beyond the surface of the strip. I prefer, however, the m ethod first mentioned as being the stronger.

I do not limit my invention to the use of the parchmentized paper-board known as leatheroid and described in Letters Patent j of the United States No. 198,382, dated Dei cember 18, 1877, as a material to'be covered with metal to form the protecting corners and bands described, as any strong elastic stiff fibrous material may be used instead.

I claim# 1. A trunk provided with protecting-strips 35 made of leatheroid and having their outside surfaces entirely covered with sheet metal, substantially as set forth.

2. A trunk having protecting-stri ps of leatheroid covered with sheet metal,which ineloses 4o the outside and both edges of said strips and is carried around the edges and onto the ini side of said strips, substantially as specified.

3. A trunk provided with corner-pieces c and protecting-strips d, both covered with 45 sheet metal, and bosses i, substantially as specified.

4. A trunk the body of which is made of wvood boards having their edges joined by two subscribing witn esses, on thisQSth day of 55 yApril, A. D. 1890.

EMERY ANDREWS. Vitnesses:

W. P. ADAMs, EVELYN A. HALL, 

